As expressed in the title of the present specification, the following invention refers to a combined system of automatic selling of products and services, which is based on the combination, in an automatic machine actuated by the insertion of coins, of the selling of products and the rendering of certain services, in such a way that an automatic machine, aside from the possibility of purchasing certain products such as cigarettes, beverages, etc. includes the rendering of a service, such as for example, a telephone service, connection to Internet, etc.
In this way, by means of a single machine a better and more complete service is given to the public, while the machine has common devices so that it operates like a vending machine and a service rendering machine, the final cost being lower for the one who manages the same.
Furthermore, if the vending and service rendering machine includes as a service the telephone service, the telephone connection may be used to transmit reports regarding the operation of the system to an operations center, as well as to receive instructions and operating parameters therefrom.
The system permits the simultaneous use of the rendering of the service and the selling of products, in such a way that while a user uses one of the possible services, such as for example talking on the phone, a second user may purchase an independent product at the same time.
In short, it is a new concept that permits the combination in a vending machine of the selling of products with the rendering of services, something which has been done up until now by independent means, namely, in another machine or apparatus.
The system of automatic selling of products and services that is presented is useful in order to be included in automatic vending machines, being especially useful for the inclusion of the telephone service and all the added advantages thereof, in cigarette and hot and cold beverage vending machines.
As it is known, more and more there is a larger number of automatic vending machines at the service of the public in general, vending machines that in turn have a larger number of products to be dispensed, and likewise, there is a larger number of machines or apparatus for public use so that a large diversity of services may be used, in such a way that conventionally the vending machines and service rendering machines are independent from one another.
Hence, on the market there is a large variety of automatic vending machines, whose range is wider and wider, in such a way that nowadays it is possible to purchase many products from automatic vending machines. Thus, the range of the popular automatic cigarette and hot and cold beverage vending machines has extended with other vending machines of dry products, sweets, containers of small toys, etc.
Likewise, on the other hand, there is a larger number of machines or apparatus of public utility for the rendering of services, and hence, aside from the telephone service being present in numerous places, lately services such as a connection to Internet, through whose connection a very wide range of services can be obtained, such as listening to music, general information, access to bank data, making purchases, etc., are being included.
In this way, everybody knows that numerous establishments frequently have vending machines and a public telephone, the same being totally independent, with the inconvenience that in some cases in certain establishments in order to make a telephone call one has to request the corresponding connection from the person in charge of the establishment, with the nuisance and loss of time that this represents or else the telephone is at a place at the bar, that is occupied by other people not using the service but preventing the people from using it or bothering them during said use.
In short, it is clear that nowadays the automatic machines or apparatus for the selling of goods or the rendering of services are totally independent, the installation of the corresponding machine or apparatus specific for each one of them being necessary.
The present specification describes a combined system of automatic selling of products and services, being useful for the inclusion thereof in all types of automatic vending machines, the system of the invention comprising the inclusion in an automatic machine of a module that has operating means of one or various services, the machine having the corresponding product selection push buttons and a service selection button, the service module having a display to which when the service option is selected the payment means is designated by the display of the automatic machine, as well as some service operating buttons and some service rendering elements, the service control circuit being controlled by the main control electronics of the automatic machine, the control circuit thereof being connected to the telephone line.
The service control circuit controls the collection operation of the rendered service, in such a way that by means of the main control circuit of the machine, by which it is controlled, the collections are carried out by means of the payment operating system itself of the machine.
The connection to the telephone line permits the connection with an operations center for the transmission of information, so that likewise from said operations center data can be transmitted and the automatic machine can be controlled.
On the other hand, the service module itself can include a service selection and designation of the payment means button from the display of the machine to the display of the service module, the part corresponding to the vending machine being free to normally dispense products.
The automatic machine can operate simultaneously rendering the service included in the module thereof and the dispensing of the requested product, in other words, the machine carries out the functions of rendering a service and dispensing goods without interfering with each other.